


The Legend of Dibble Hollow

by Nieman



Category: ghost story - Fandom
Genre: Based on 1965 story The Ghost of Dibble Hollow by May Nickerson Wallace, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 11:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12629670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nieman/pseuds/Nieman
Summary: Play based on 1965 fiction ghost story





	The Legend of Dibble Hollow

Prologue:  
Year 1900  
Dusky twilight  
Young boy coming from gate flanked by two Oak trees. He runs off to one side....a loud scream is heard and then a splash

Act 1 Scene 1  
Old Farmhouse....family on porch Mother, father, sister brother

Sister: Father how did you meet mother?  
Son: Yeah dad you never said how  
Father: It was when I was your age...we moved back to the old homestead....{flashback}

Young boy walking down country lane. In background is old stone country farm gate...flanked by oak trees. A young girl his own age looks at him from behind the wall  
Girl: Boy...who are you?....I'm Eliza Smith....  
Boy: I'm....Dibble....Michael Dibble....how do you do...?  
Old man comes from the gate....  
Man: Dibble eh? Don't ever set foot here you sons of thieves....

Act 1 Scene 2 Michael in bedroom...rocking chair in corner  
Chair begins to rock...ghostly form of boy wearing dress of 1900 vintage appear.  
Michael: Who are you...?  
Ghost: Lad don't ye recognize the spirit of your dear departed great uncle...Miles O'Dibble?  
Michael: So..thats your portrait in the parlor Miles Dibble...  
Miles: Miles O'Dibble...lad...O'DIBBLE  
Michael: Miles O'Dibble born 1890-disappeared 1900....why are you here?  
Miles; See lad I cant rest in peace....50 years its been.....been toten water from the well?  
Michael: Yes.....hard work....  
Miles: Well I' can give ye some help....dig in the basement floor under the sink....youll find the connection pipe  
Michael: Left or right?  
Miles: Sorry....could never tell which direction was which.....  
Michael: Why was it hidden?  
Miles: After me departure from this life, all was left was me brother Michael Joseph...  
Michael My grandfather...  
Miles; and me other brother Ezra.....well I wont say more....but visit Fanny Murphy....mention mine and Ezra names....I see something admiss...with ye  
Michael: I went to Twin Oaks and saw a fair girl...and her Dibble hating grandfather ....  
Miles: Eb Smith.....mean nowadays....mention his name as well....

Act 1 Scene 3 Michael in basement digging. Family comes down stairs.  
Father: What are you digging....put that back...  
Michael: What I was looking for...  
Mother: Is that a water pipe connection?  
Father: Yes it is....I'll have to get a master plummer to reenstal it....why did you dig here son?  
Michael: I...ah....figured the connection might be down here...so I took a chance...  
Sister: Figured...yeah {sticks tongue out]

Act 2 Scene 2 Michael at Fanny Murphys house  
Fanny: Let me look at ye lad...except for having dark hair....ye're a O'Dibble all right  
Michael: What about the O'Dibble brothers....and the feud with Eb Smith?  
FannY: Afore the turn of the century, me, Miles and Eb were the best o friends....then came the fair o January 1, 1900 that's when everything changed for the worst.  
Michael: How?  
Fanny: O'Dibbles and the Smiths had some prize livestock to sell together ....and made a pretty penny....the last was seen of Miles was in the company of Eb Smith. Afterward Eb said they been followed by two tramps...and they split up...Ed would decoy them and Miles would bring the money home....that very night Miles just vanished....  
Michael: Is that when Eb thought Miles stolen...?  
FannY No lad...not then.....then things went from bad for worse for Eb...when the Great War came about...he went off....and came back ah...different..  
Michael: Different....violent?  
Fanny: Enraged....Bitter, angry and mean.. then the TROUBLE began It was that troublemaker Ezra Dibble fault...the custom was when two neighbors jointly owned land such as trees they split the work and profits. Ezra tried to claim more than his share simply because his half had two extra trees on it.. then he lost a lawsuit against Eb...so he went around spreading gossip that the Smiths has always been greedy..beginning with Eb who done away with Miles so many years before.... Eb nearly killed Ezra with his bare fists...but it was too late....you see for by that time there wernt many few persons alive....who been around when Miles disappeared...so half believed Eb and the other half....  
Michael: Believed Ezra....Ezra must have been a real character  
Fanny: Yes he even asked Me to marry Him...  
Michael: Why didn't you?  
Fanny: When I went over to his house....he insisted on drinking well water....said no one was going to make him pay money for piping in water....anyone that cheap I figured was not good husband material....  
Michael: {So that explains the buried pipe} So why didn't you marry Eb...?  
FannY: Well lad....I was in love with that rascal...Miles O'Dibble ...as for Eb....his son was lost in World War II...all hes got left is his granddaughter....now his nearly mortal sick with his anger and his bitter memories 

Act 3 Act 2 Michael Bedroom. Ghost appears  
Michael: I visted Miss Murphy today...  
Miles: I nowed lad....  
Michael: Explains much but not all....what did happen that night.?  
Miles: We were both followed....we split up....Edd was to lead them the long way around...a good plain...but they followed me instead...at that time the Thumbling River Bridge was a foot bridge....I tripped and fell off {grimmiced}...the two tramps swore a blue streak when they didn't find a penny on me...pushed me into the river to carry me to sea...how me family searched....yet they had a clue to what happened...and didn't know it at...all...Ha...Ha....I hid the money in a hollow of Twin oak gate fence base of the tree  
Michael: Which tree?  
Miles: Sorry lad...alive or dead left or right cant tell

Act 3 scene 2 parlor. Sister is on foot ladder trying to pull old portrait of miles down  
Michael and parents comes in  
Michael: Hey what are you doing...?  
Sister is so suprized she stumbles off ladder with portrait in hand  
Sister: I thought their was a safe behind the old picture...  
Michael: Stop watching...so many stupid movies...here I'll hang it back up again...hey there is tear in the backing...  
Father: Don't worry the picture itself isn't damaged....hey whats this?  
Michael: Its an old newspaper clipping January 1900....look at this item!  
Father: "Unknown body found in river estuary....unknown boy blond hair sunday school cloathing...was found today....as no one reports anyone matching this description lost in the vincinty...he may have fallen off night ferry boat. The unknown lads remains will be buried in the poor house cemetery." hum...this came from Riverton crossing about 30 miles downstream from....here...  
Michael: {So that's what Miles ment} They didn't realize he floated downstream...and thought he must have come from the sea instead.

Act 3 Scene 3 Evening Twin Oaks gates Fanny Murphy, Michael and father moving stone at foot of tree  
Michael: No hollow here father...lets try the other side  
Father and son go to other side of gate and lift stone  
Eb Smith goes out with old fanished lateren  
EB : Dibbles eh....I'll take you to court...  
Fanny: Ebenezer Smith...you right to be angry for what Ezra did to your name and reputation...BUT HOW DARE YE take your anger on a lad whose trying to save your name...  
EB; WHAT...are ye talking about...?  
FannY; Ye stubborn old mule....Miles O' Dibble hid the money here....  
Eb; Miles...No....NO  
Micahael: Here IT is.  
Father lifts money bag out of hollow  
Eb is in shock....How How?  
Fanny: Its this lad who figured it out....Miles was running for his life that night....he knew the country...but that money bag must have been weighing him down...he couldnt just toss it over the fence or forest where the would be thiefs would have found it...so he put it in the only hiding place he knew...right there in the hollow of the gate. As to Miles fate...he didn't survive....twas an accident....Eb ye hated Miles all these years for nothing  
Eb: Miles...me best friend.....all these years....  
Father: Total 200 shillings....100 for you...and 100 for us ...deal?{offers hand}  
Eb: [Spits and Shakes Hand] Deal....Eliza needs a dowry someday..the feud is over...friend

Act 3 Scene 4 Rivertown Poor Cemetery Dibbles, Smith and Fanny beside new cross which reads:  
Miles O'Dibble 1890-1900 RIP at last  
All leave except fanny who puts a white flower on grave and weeps a tear over the grave  
Eb comes to Michael:  
Eb: Thank ye lad for restoring me name and reputation...sorry I was such a fool...ye can see Eliza ...  
Michael: I understand....by the way in the 1900 clipping there was a notice of a fright train wreck about 50 miles from here...only fatalies were two unknown tramps killed. As best the authorities could figure out they must have hopped the train here at Dibble Hollow about the time of the 1900 fair...  
EB: I knew it...I knew what I saw that night...eh....Miss Murphy....we are both alone...and my granddaughter likes your company....would ye be my bride?  
Fanny: Why Mr Smith...I'd thought yed never ask...I accept

Michael is by himself. Miles ghost appears.  
Michael: I guess with the truth out...you can go to your rest now...  
Miles: So I can lad....Fanny and Eb hitched together..whats on your mind Lad?  
Michael: I'm curious....Why did you appear before me and not anyone else?  
Miles: Simple lad...your the only one who didn't try to hide whenever I appeared {Grinns]  
Michael leaves.  
Miles: Fanny and Eb...in good time we'll be all reunited again...  
Ghost fades...Empty scene-Ghostly laugther heard

Cast:  
Michael Dibble/Miles O Dibble ghost  
Sister Dibble/Smith granddaughter  
Father Dibble/Michael Dibble {Grown up}  
Mother Dibble/Eliza [Smith} Dibble {Grown up}  
Ed Smith  
Fanny Murphy

The end


End file.
